The Best Alarm Clocks on Amazon, According to Hyperenthusiastic Reviewers

Here at the Strategist, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in the good way) about the stuff we buy (like pillows), but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice, in which we find the best-reviewed (that’s four-to-five-star reviews and lots of ‘em) products and single out the most convincing. While we’ve tried to find the nicest-sounding alarm clocks and ended up with picks for the best alarm clock and a voice-controlled alarm clock, we wanted to see what other ways to wake up were out there. So we found the best alarm clocks on Amazon, according to hyperenthusiastic reviewers. (Note that reviews have been edited for length and clarity.)

Best loud alarm clock

Travelwey HOME LED Digital Alarm Clock

$20
at Amazon

4.4 stars, 2,970 reviews

“Great alarm clock for the price. Gigantic numbers for my old eyes. Very basic, easy to set, just what I wanted. Alarm is loud even on low [with] an awful sound that would wake the dead. But that sound makes me get right up, so it does exactly what it’s supposed to do. If you want a soft gentle caress to wake you, get something else, but this is a good alarm and easy to use.”

Best loud alarm clock with vibration

Sonic Alert SBB500SS Sonic Bomb Loud Dual Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker

$30
at Amazon

4.3 stars, 5,800 reviews

“I am the heaviest sleeper and was setting four or five alarms on my phone to wake me up. After being late a few times, I decided to purchase this alarm clock to help me wake up on time. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. … The bed shaker is super important. I put it under my pillow, and it shook me awake; the loud beep helped too. If you can sleep through earthquakes and shouting family members, this is the alarm clock for you.”

Best radio alarm clock

DreamSky Decent Alarm Clock Radio

$26
at Amazon

4.3 stars, 457 reviews

“Nice, clear radio reception. I like the compact size. Numbers are large enough to see without my glasses, and the dimmer means the light from the clock doesn’t keep me awake. Love having a sleep timer so I can fall asleep to the radio.”

Best light alarm clock

Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock

$98
at Amazon

4.1 stars, 3,922 reviews

“I bought this light because my partner and I need to be up early for work, but our bedroom has very poor natural light. Within a week, I’ve already noticed a difference in my energy levels and mood. The sunrise simulation works perfectly; by the time the ‘alarm’ (peaceful bird noises) goes off, I’m already feeling naturally awake — not groggy or jolted out of my sleep. I feel much more rested, and my average resting heart rate reflects that. I also really love the sunset feature. I wasn’t expecting to get much use out of it, but I feel like it does a great job of helping me settle into bed at the end of the day.”

Best dual alarm clock

DreamSky Dual Alarm Clock

$13
at Amazon

4.3 stars, 244 reviews

“Great little dual alarm clock. Super easy to set the two alarms. Easy to use. It has a night light feature with adjustable dimmer, which is great. You can adjust the display completely dark so you don’t see the numbers. Then you can just hit the snooze button when the alarm is not ringing and the display lights up. It’s powered only by 3 AA batteries: no electric cord, no USB, nothing that you need. If you need a fancy alarm clock that sprays water in your face, this is not it.”

Best battery-powered alarm clock

Peakeep Small Battery Operated Analog Travel Alarm Clock

$10
at Amazon

4.4 stars, 682 reviews

“I was looking for a small, battery-operated clock with a light for my bedside. I wake often in the middle of the night, and I do not keep my cell phone beside the bed (bad idea, as it is tempting to use it, and that does not help sleep). I had a small battery-operated clock I purchased from Walmart years ago, and it finally broke after being knocked off the bedside table too many times. … So I looked on Amazon, and this is the best replacement I could find. It is slightly larger but does the job. I push the top button and can see the time without waking my partner. Nice little clock for the price, and if I knock it off during the night and break it, it has not broken my budget!”

Best musical alarm clock

Peakeep Loud Melody Alarm Clock

$15
at Amazon

4.2 stars, 635 reviews

“The alarm is loud with a lower frequency melody which I like since I have high-frequency hearing loss. Guaranteed to wake anyone up when the alarm goes off which is super important to me, especially if I’m using the alarm clock to wake up to catch a flight. … When the alarm goes off, press the large snooze bar on the top to have the alarm go off again in five minutes. Pressing the snooze bar on top at anytime also lights up the numbers and bars on the clock’s face, but the hands are a bit hard to see in the dark since the hands don’t light up. When the alarm on/off switch is turned to the off position, there’s a cute voice that says ‘Good Morning!’ which brings a smile to start the day. We love this clock so much, we plan to buy more to give as gifts. We’re sure the recipients will love it as much as we do.”

Best digital travel alarm clock

Digital Travel Alarm Clock

$10
at Amazon

4.2 stars, 891 reviews

“Love how simple this digital timer is. I travel a lot, and it’s small enough to put in my purse. The off button is convenient because it keeps the buttons from being pressed while stored away and conserves the battery, but when you turn it back on, your setting are stored so no need to reset [each] time. … [There’s just the] clock, alarm, snooze, on/off. The smaller and simpler the better when I’m traveling.”

Best retro alarm clock

Peakeep Ultra Small, Battery Travel Alarm Clock

$11
at Amazon

4.4 stars, 1,697 reviews

“This little beauty works great. I bought it when the alarm on my mobile phone began to intermittently fail me. This little travel clock is beautiful in retro seafoam green and great for travel because its bright color ensures that you will never miss picking it up from your hotel nightstand at checkout. There is a faint, pleasant ticking, the hands glow in the dark, and the nightlight button is bright when needed. The pop-up alarm button is firm and works well though I am learning not to accidentally press it and turn the alarm off when picking up the clock. Overall, a fantastic alarm clock.”

Best alarm clock for the elderly

American Lifetime [Newest Version] Day Clock

$47
at Amazon

4.7 stars, 4,009 reviews

“This was a gift for my elderly, cognitively impaired mother. She was very often confused as to which day it was, the time of day, etc. She would show up at appointments on the wrong day, or think it was morning when it was evening. This clock is fantastic! It has made such a difference. Now she always knows what day and time it is. The clock is also very nice-looking. This was an excellent purchase and highly recommended. I can’t say enough good things about it.”

Best alarm clock for the hearing-impaired

Sonic Alert Loud Dual Alarm Clock SB200ss with Vibrating Shaker

$36
at Amazon

4.2 stars, 1,601 reviews

“This alarm clock will wake you up! I’m totally deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other. Alarm clocks I used before I purchased this one might as well have been turned off if I happened to have my good ear on the pillow when they went off. This one is loud! Now having said that, its loudness is adjustable, and I found that a low setting of two works just fine for me, but if I am particularly concerned about being awakened, I also set the vibrating disk, which is slipped under the mattress. Believe me: Even if you are totally deaf in both ears, this will wake you up. I was skeptical about the vibrator because I have a thick mattress, but it works with no problem at all! I wholeheartedly recommend this alarm clock for anyone who is hearing impaired.”

Best kids’ alarm clock

MELLA Ready to Rise Children’s Sleep Trainer, Alarm Clock

$50
at Amazon

4.4 stars, 153 reviews

“I have searched for a well-designed clock for kids and was so pleased I finally made this purchase. It was definitely pricier than other options, but this one is actually well-designed, usable, and does all the functions well. My daughter loves how cute it is, and the yellow light and green light has allowed us to get more sleep in the mornings, which is priceless. … We don’t use the nap feature or white noise machine all that much, but we like the night-light and wake-up training features. The size is perfect, and it’s not too bright. Plus it has the time on it, which is perfect for my preschooler who is learning about time.”